Abstract

In 1924, the fifth Assembly of the League of Nations adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, 1924 which was the foundation of the save the children concept. In 1959 United Nations (UN) General Assembly had taken steps to a declaration on the Rights of the Children. In the same year United Nations General Assembly adopted a declaration on the rights of the child. They were not, however, legally binding upon the States and constituted only statement of principles. In 1966 two covenant, namely, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) were adopted. In particular Article 23 & 24 of ICCPR and Article 10 of ICESCR deal with the welfare of the children. In the late 1970, some States, particularly the government of Poland, began to argue for the creation of a new instrument on the Children’s Right that would not only set guiding principles, but also binding States under international law. In 1978, during its 34th session, the Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) started its concern that children continued to suffer around the world under colonial rule and apartheid regimes, war and other forms of aggression, and agreed to strengthen international instruments for protecting the Rights of the Children. In 1979, twenty years after the adoption of the Declaration of the Rights of the Children, the General Assembly concluded that “The principle of the declaration have played a significant part in the promotion of the Rights of the Children in the entire world as well as in shaping various forms of international cooperation in this sphere (UN doc. A/33/45). In that particular year the General Assembly declared the year 1979 as the International year of the Child, and the UNCHR established a working group to draft a convention on Children’s Rights.